Status of Women committee  One of the recommendations that have been made is that we substantially increase the funding to Status of Women Canada. Our women's centre was one of the women's centres that received core funding at one point, until that core funding was cut by the previous government. That core funding allowed us to do two things: it allowed us to provide services and to do the advocacy work.

Status of Women committee  I appreciate your taking it forward.

Status of Women committee  Thanks for that question. Closing the rural offices will have a huge impact, because it is really with our local program officers that we are able to build a good sense of what's happening in the smaller communities and what the needs of women are and translate that back to Ottawa in a way that ensures the research and the projects and initiatives that are carried out really do reflect and meet the needs of the smaller communities.

Status of Women committee  That's a really big question. The situation with aboriginal women in this country is abominable. I think that's been pointed out very clearly by the United Nations Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; and the lack of action has also been abominable.

Status of Women committee  Absolutely.

Status of Women committee  Well, one reason is that--and particularly with marginalized women and women living in small communities who don't even have access to computers, etc.--coming together to do advocacy really takes a level of organization that requires support. It requires support through any number of different measures, basic transportation being one, particularly in rural areas.

Status of Women committee  What I'd like to do is start with the conclusion to make sure I get it in. That's what we would like to see. I'm here on behalf of the Antigonish Women's Resource Centre, which is a small community-based organization in rural Nova Scotia. I'm speaking as well for other women's centres in Nova Scotia that work with rural women.